St. John Paul II Catholic High School (Arizona)

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St. John Paul II Catholic High School
Address
3120 N. 137th Ave.

Avondale
,
Arizona
85392

United States
Coordinates33°28′17″N 112°18′31″W / 33.471343°N 112.308557°W / 33.471343; -112.308557Coordinates: 33°28′17″N 112°18′31″W / 33.471343°N 112.308557°W / 33.471343; -112.308557
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
OpenedAugust 2018
PrincipalSr. Mary Jordan Hoover, O.P.
Grades9–12
Color(s)Teal, black
MascotLions
AffiliationWCEA
Websitejp2catholic.org

St. John Paul II Catholic High School is a Catholic high school in Avondale, Arizona.

History[]

On April 21, 2015, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix announced plans to construct a new high school to open in Avondale for the 2018–19 school year, to be known as St. John Paul II Catholic High School, on diocesan property adjacent to St. Thomas Aquinas parish.[1] The announcement was years in the planning; in 1998, the then-pastor of the parish lobbied the diocese to buy land for a future elementary and high school. Already, in 2015, 70 students from the St. Thomas Aquinas elementary school were commuting 22 miles to Brophy College Preparatory and Xavier College Preparatory.[1] The diocese tapped the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, known colloquially as the "Nashville Dominicans", to establish a presence in Phoenix and operate the new school; Sr. Mary Jordan Hoover, O.P., who had been the founding principal when the order built Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in northern Virginia, would serve as the principal.[2] The school in Avondale would be the westernmost operated by the Nashville Dominicans and just the second diocesan high school to open west of Interstate 17.[2]

Ground was broken for the new school at a ceremony on January 21, 2017.[3] Later in the year, the diocese launched a $100 million capital campaign, "Together Let Us Go Forth"; the largest grant of the funds to be raised from the program, $23 million, was earmarked for the new high school.[4]

The 107,000 square feet (9,900 m2) first phase, consisting of a three-story academic building and gymnasium, opened in August 2018 to allow the school to receive freshmen and sophomores.[5] John Paul II would be the second Catholic high school in the diocese to use a "house" system, in which all students are assigned to one of six houses.[5] In its first year of operation, the school educated 150 freshmen and sophomores, with about 40 percent of the student body coming from public schools.[6] In March 2019, Bishop Thomas Olmsted dedicated the new chapel altar, which features a relic: a lock of hair of Saint John Paul II.[7]

Athletics[]

The JP2 girls basketball team won the Canyon Athletic Association state title in its first year, with the school moving into the larger Arizona Interscholastic Association for 2019–20.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Hammel, Ambria (May 19, 2015). "Diocese announces plans for new high school". Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia to establish diocesan presence, serve new high school". Catholic Sun. March 22, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  3. ^ Coronel, Joyce (January 31, 2017). "Community rejoices in seeing dirt fly at St. John Paul II High School groundbreaking". Catholic Sun. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  4. ^ Wiles, Russ (September 14, 2017). "Phoenix diocese launches $100 million fundraising campaign". Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Grant, Jeff (August 5, 2018). "'It's really happening': West Valley's first Catholic high school set for start of classes in August". Catholic Sun. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  6. ^ Grant, Jeff (August 20, 2018). "St. John Paul II High School set to bring a new opportunity for Catholic students in far West Valley". Catholic Sun.
  7. ^ Grant, Jeff (March 28, 2019). "'Special place' of peace, contemplation: bishop dedicates new high school's chapel altar". Catholic Sun. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  8. ^ Grant, Jeff (March 18, 2019). "St. John Paul II High School girls complete historic run to title". Catholic Sun. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
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